Leica SL3vs D5
Leica
Leica SL3 (2024)
Starting from £6499 new
Best for Professional & luxury hybrid shooters
View Leica SL3
Nikon
D5 (2016)
Starting from £1800 new
Best for Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife
View D5
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Professional & Luxury Hybrid Shooters — Leica SL3 (2024): Leica's most capable mirrorless — 60MP, 30fps burst, 8K ProRes, and 7.5-stop IBIS with L-mount's growing lens ecosystem.
Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife — D5 (2016): Nikon's ultimate pro DSLR and a certified space traveller — the D5's 153-point AF, 12fps, and ISO 3,280,000 made it the weapon of choice for Olympic and space photography.
Who should buy what
Leica SL3 (2024)
- Leica photographers who want autofocus full-frame in the L-mount system
- SL2 owners upgrading to 60MP and improved autofocus performance
- Professionals who want Leica build quality with L-mount lens versatility
- Photographers who want to share lenses across Leica, Sigma, and Lumix bodies
D5 (2016)
- Sports and wildlife photographers with an F-mount telephoto investment
- Photojournalists who need the fastest, most reliable DSLR AF available
- Nikon system professionals looking for a flagship body at used prices
- Collectors of cameras with a documented space pedigree
Quick take: The leica sl3 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the d5 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Leica SL3 (2024) | D5 (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,499 | £1,800 |
| Sensor | 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 60.0MP | 20.8MP |
| Video | 8K/30p, 4K/60p, Apple ProRes | 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop) |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect AF with subject/face/eye detection | Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type |
| Stabilisation | 7.5-stop IBIS | — |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic | 12fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | 410 shots (CIPA) | ~3780 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 875g body only | 1405g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 146.0 × 104.0 × 42.0mm | 160 × 158.5 × 92mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.78" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage |
| Screen | 3.2" fixed touchscreen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots |
| Mount | Leica L-mount | Nikon F mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD UHS-II | Dual XQD slots (XQD variant) |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.1, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet (RJ-45), USB 3.0 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Leica SL3 | D5 |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wedding & Events | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Street | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history